Meyer was born in Yonkers, New York, on July 21, 1904, the son of French immigrants. He was raised in Los Angeles, where he began his automobile racing career at various California tracks. Early in his career, in 1926, he assisted in preparing a Miller driven by Frank Elliott, destroking the engine to meet displacement regulations.
In 1928, Meyer won the Indianapolis 500, taking the lead on Lap 181 and winning by 25 seconds at an average speed of 99.5 mph (160.1 km/h). That same year, he also won a 200 mi (320 km) event at Altoona, Pennsylvania, averaging 117.02 mph (188.33 km/h) in a Stutz-Miller. He earned consistent points finishes that year to claim AAA’s National Championship.
The 1929 Indianapolis 500 saw Ray Keech beat Meyer, but Keech was killed two weeks later at another 200 mi (320 km) event at Altoona, which Meyer subsequently won, averaging 110 mph (180 km/h). The Great Depression and the closure of several board tracks led Meyer to focus more on dirt track racing in the early 1930s.
Meyer won his second Indianapolis 500 in 1933, driving the Tydol Special Miller. He took the lead on Lap 129 and ultimately finished four laps ahead of the field, setting a race average of 104.16 mph (167.63 km/h). He began the tradition of drinking milk in victory lane that year, initially consuming buttermilk, and later switching to a glass milk bottle following his 1936 victory, a practice continued by most winners since.
In 1936, Meyer won his third Indianapolis 500, driving the Ring Free Special Miller at an average speed of 109.1 mph (175.6 km/h). He also received the Pace Car as part of his winnings that year, following a suggestion from former race winner Tommy Milton. That same year, Meyer co-founded Champion Drivers, Inc., along with nine other top racers, to promote racing.
In 1939, Meyer nearly won a fourth Indianapolis 500, battling Wilbur Shaw with four laps remaining, but lost control and spun, ending his chances. He sold the Miller to Rex Mays the following year and transitioned to engine building, partnering with Dale Drake to take over Offenhauser’s engine plant. Meyer-Drake Offys would dominate Indianapolis for the next two decades, powering every winner until 1968.
Meyer joined Ford in 1964, contributing to the development of the Ford V8 engine, which powered four Indianapolis 500 winners. His wife, June, was unaware he was racing in the 1928 Indianapolis 500, discovering his victory after hearing an announcement at a race in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Meyer died on October 7, 1995, in Searchlight, Nevada, at the age of 91, having lived in retirement there since 1972. He is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. His son, Louis Sonny Meyer Jr., assisted him with engine work and built 15 Indianapolis 500-winning engines. His grandson, Louis III "Butch," built Oldsmobile Aurora engines for Team Menard, winning championships in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series in 1996-97 and 1999, and later became the Indy Pro Series (now Indy Lights) director.
Meyer has been inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1963), the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992), and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1993).
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